Marine vessel monitoring system

ABSTRACT

The marine vessel monitoring system of the present invention enables marine vessel owners to monitor their vessels when they are unable or unavailable to personally do so. The system of the present invention provides an efficient method for inspecting and repairing a designated marine vessel at periodic intervals and for reporting the results of such inspections and repairs to the vessel&#39;s owner in a timely manner for the owner&#39;s review and consideration.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/025,639, filed Feb. 4, 2008 which is a continuation of and claims thebenefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/982,288, filed Nov. 4,2004, which is a continuation of and claims the benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/957,136, filed Sep. 20, 2001, which is acontinuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/736,904, filed Dec. 13, 2000, which is anon-provisional of and claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/170,782, filed Dec. 15, 1999, the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated herein.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates in general to a marine vessel monitoringsystem, and in particular to a marine vessel monitoring system whichenables marine vessel owners to monitor their marine vessels when theyare unable or not available to monitor their marine vessels.

BACKGROUND

Most boat or marine vessel owners leave their boat, yacht or vesselunattended and unmonitored for significant periods of time while dockedor moored, or in dry storage. During these time periods, a number ofthings may happen (e.g., equipment/line failure, faulty through-hullfittings, intrusion, etc.) that may damage the boat or cause it to sink,or incur financial loss. Statistics show that for every one boat thatsinks at sea, four boats sink at the dock or mooring. The costs torepair a boat that has been under water, even briefly, can besignificant. In such situations, the owner of a boat must pay for therepairs not covered by insurance and is deprived of using, his or herboat until the boat is repaired.

Moreover, boat owners know these risks are present and are generallyconcerned about their unattended or unmonitored boats. Some boat ownershave people check their boats. However, there is no coordinated systemfor checking boats, checking certain components of the boat and forregularly reporting the status of the boats to the boat owners.Accordingly, there is a need for an efficient and timely monitoringsystem that enables vessel owners to monitor their vessels when they areunable or unavailable to do so themselves.

SUMMARY

The marine vessel monitoring system of the present invention overcomesthe above problems by providing a system for conducting thorough,interior and exterior periodic inspections and/or remotely monitoringdesignated boats, or vessels, for taking immediate corrective action, ifnecessary, to fix or repair any deficiencies noted during theinspection, and for immediately reporting or making available theresults of inspections and monitoring reports and the corrective actionstaken, if any, to the boat's owner so he or she stays informed on thecurrent status of his or her boat. The information collected from theseinspections and repairs is also preferably used to create historicaldatabases for the boats monitored by the system.

In one embodiment of the present invention, sensors are placed on thevessel to monitor certain critical systems and conditions on the vessel.For example, sensors are provided for monitoring the operation of thebilge pump, monitoring smoke and fire detectors and monitoring batteryvoltage levels. The sensors are connected or hard-wired to acommunication unit such as a telemetry unit. This communication unit isadapted to communicate with a central monitoring system at least in partover a wireless link.

The preferred embodiment includes a telemetry unit which generates andtransmits a telemetry signal which contains coded data representing thestate of the components or systems monitored by the various sensorsdeployed on the vessel. The monitoring system enables personnel remotelylocated from the vessel to receive this vessel data or telemetry datafrom the vessel and monitor or determine the vessel's condition. Thus,certain critical aspects of the vessel's condition may be continuouslymonitored without necessitating an actual physical inspection. If thetelemetry data indicate a problem with one or more of the on boardsystems or conditions of the vessel, the remote monitoring systemreceives this information and enables personnel at the monitoringstations to contact the proper authority or designated organization orentity to address the problem identified in the telemetry data.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vesselmonitoring system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vesselmonitoring system that provides the vessel owner information on avessel's condition.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a vesselmonitoring system that immediately repairs or takes corrective action tofix any repairs identified during the detailed inspection and/ormonitoring of the vessel.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer tolike parts, components or steps.

Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will beapparent from, the following Detailed Description and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of the initiation process of the vesselmonitoring system of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of the vessel monitoring process of thevessel monitoring system of present invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a sample inspection report of the vessel monitoringsystem of present invention; and

FIG. 4 is schematic flow chart of a system for remotely monitoring thecondition of a vessel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Initiation Process

The vessel monitoring system of the present invention is preferably usedby a plurality of vessel or boat owners, although it is described hereinin relation to one boat or vessel owner. Referring now to the drawings,and particularly to FIG. 1, a vessel or boat owner, referred to hereinas the boat owner, vessel owner or customer, establishes an account withan implementor of the vessel monitoring system of the present invention.As indicated by block 10, the customer, usually in response to some formof written or verbal solicitation or advertisement, initiates theprocess by requesting a monitoring proposal from the implementor. Ageographic manager, preferably an employee of the implementor, preparesa monitoring proposal based on information supplied by the customerregarding the customer's vessel or, if deemed necessary, the geographicmanager may visit and inspect the boat to prepare a more thoroughmonitoring proposal. This may be required for relatively large, uniqueor exceptionally complicated vessels. The implementor or geographicmanager provides the monitoring proposal to the customer. The proposal,in addition to all the standard contractual terms required by theimplementor, designates the type of monitoring for the designated boat.The monitoring may be customized as desired by the vessel owner or maybe a standardized monitoring procedure.

The preferred embodiment of the vessel monitoring system of the presentinvention includes interior and exterior monitoring procedures, althoughit should be appreciated that the monitoring procedures could be varied.Generally, the exterior monitoring procedures includes an inspection ofthe exterior lines of the boat, the exterior electrical equipment, theexterior entries of the boat, the exterior boat coverings and the groundtackle. Generally, the interior monitoring procedures includes aninspection of the boat's interior, the engine room, the boat's bilgepumps, the boat's through-hull fittings and an inspection for oil andfuel leakage. The customer may select the exterior monitoringprocedures, or the exterior and interior monitoring procedures.

If the customer accepts the proposal, the customer executes a serviceagreement with the implementor, as indicated in block 12. The geographicmanager, as indicated in block 14, prepares a customer informationprofile for the boat, assigns a system identification number to the boatand in one embodiment prepares and affixes a bar code or otheridentifier device with the system identification number to thecustomer's boat, generally referred to as an identifier. The customerinformation profile includes details of the monitoring procedurescontracted for, a photograph of the boat, the name and official hullidentification number (“HIN”), a diagram of the boat and its equipment,a map of the customer's marina where the boat is docked or moored andany other information that the geographic manager considers pertinentfor facilitating the monitoring procedures. In the embodiment where abar code is affixed to the boat, the bar code is preferably a laserscannable type bar code, and is preferably affixed to the boat in areasonably accessible location acceptable to the customer and where itis least effected by the elements. It should be appreciated that thesystem identification number for the boat does not need to be affixed tothe boat.

The implementor also conducts a baseline inspection of the boat. Thebaseline inspection may be conducted by the geographic manager or may beoutsourced to a boat inspection professional who conducts the inspectionunder the supervision of the implementor. The baseline inspectionestablishes a baseline for the condition of the equipment, features andoverall condition of boat as a point of comparison for futureinspections and monitoring. The information from the customerinformation profile created by the geographic manager and theinformation from the baseline inspection are inputted using a handheldcommunication device and stored in a conventional computer database orother conventional computer storage medium of the present inventionwhich is maintained by the implementor. Preferably, the communicationdevice is a computer connected to the computer database, although otherdevices are contemplated such as a handheld computer or personal digitalassistant that communicate with the computer database through a secureinternet connection or other data network. It is also contemplated thatthe implementor could input information using a telephone or cellularphone and voice recognition software. It should also be appreciated thatwhile the present invention is discussed with respect to oneimplementor, one or more implementors (or watch officers, customers,etc.) may communicate simultaneously with the computer database usingone or more communication devices.

Preferably, the conventional computer database is connected to orotherwise communicates with a processor or other controlling device,generally referred to as a controller, as is well known in the art. Thestored information about the boat and customer is saved as a customerrecord on the database which contains all of the information pertinentto the customer and the customer's vessel.

If the implementor identifies any problems with the boat during thebaseline inspection, the implementor notifies the customer, as indicatedin block 16, and suggests possible repairs to the customer. If thecustomer wants to make the suggested repairs, upon the instruction ofthe customer, the implementor may itself or may, engage a third party tomake the suggested repairs, as indicated by diamond 18 and block 20. If,on the other hand, the customer decides not to make the suggestedrepairs, the implementor informs the customer of the possibleconsequences of failing to repair the identified problems. If thecustomer thereafter does not wish to make the suggested repairs, thecustomer's decision is recorded in the customer record, as indicated byblock 22.

After the initial customer record is created and stored in the databaseof the vessel monitoring system, the geographic manager assigns a watchofficer to monitor the boat as indicated by block 24. The watch officeris preferably an employee of the implementor. The watch officer reportsto the geographic manager and is responsible for performing the physicalmonitoring or inspections of the monitored boats at regular ordesignated intervals desired by the customer. It should be appreciatedthat these intervals could be weekly, biweekly, daily or any desiredinterval requested by the customer. The watch officer is alsoresponsible for preparing the reports resulting from these inspections.

The geographic manager assigns a boat to a specific watch officer basedon a number of factors. These include geographical location of the boat,travel time between boats in the watch officer's portfolio, the extentof the monitoring services (including the estimated inspection time),the complexity of the vessel, the watch officer's portfolio size, thewatch officer's capabilities and any other factor that bears on properlyassigning the monitored boats to the watch officer.

After the geographic manager assigns a specific boat to a specific watchofficer, the geographic manager notifies the watch officer of thisassignment (i.e., that this boat is added to his or her inspectionportfolio), as indicated by block 26 and notifies the customer of thisprimary assignment. As indicated by block 28, the geographic manageralso notifies the customer the day that monitoring of the customer'sboat will begin. Along with this notification, the geographic managerprovides the customer information about the assigned watch officer. Thisinformation includes the watch officer's name, his or her profile, hisor her credentials, his or her picture, his or her contact informationfor enabling the customer to contact the watch officer and any otherinformation deemed pertinent for the customer to know about the watchofficer. The geographic manager also inquires as to the customer'spreferred method of handling problems if they should arise. Thegeographic manager inputs and stores this preference in the customerrecord in the database for future reference and use. It should beappreciated and discussed below, that the geographic manager orimplementor could provide this information to the customer via anysuitable means, generally referred to as the customer information means,including without limitation, via telephone, facsimile, e-mail or theinternet.

The geographic manager also reviews the customer's marina accesspolicies with the customer and ensures that the implementor has all thenecessary documentation, materials and authorization for the watchoffice to access the marina and the customer's boat, as indicated byblock 30. This documentation usually includes a vessel insurancecertificate indicating the customer's marina and a written consent form,signed by the customer, granting the watch officer access to the marinaand the boat. This may also include keys or key cards for access to themarina and the boat. The geographic manager, as indicated in block 32,provides the watch officer with copies of the documentation andmaterials he or she needs to access the marina and the customer's boat.The watch officer also downloads for future reference the customer'srecord for the assigned boat from the implementor's database to asuitable input or communication device such as a portable computer orother suitable device (e.g., a personal digital assistant, laptop, phoneor cellular phone), preferably via a suitable internet connection withthe implementor's secure internet web site.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to thepresently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present subjectmatter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is thereforeintended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appendedclaims.

Monitoring Process

As block 34 indicates, the implementor or geographic manager preferablyprovides each watch officer with a daily portfolio of monitoringassignments for boats assigned to the watch officer. The geographicmanager, preferably with the assistance of conventional schedulingprogram, takes a number of factors into account when making these dailyassignments. The geographic manager factors in the location of the boat,distance between assignments, the watch officer's previously scheduledassignments and any other pertinent factors. Each watch officerpreferably downloads his or her daily service assignment portfolio tohis or her portable computer, preferably via a secure connection on theinternet.

As block 34 indicates, the implementor or geographic manager preferablyprovides each watch officer with a daily portfolio of monitoringassignments for boats assigned to the watch officer. The geographicmanager, preferably with the assistance of conventional schedulingprogram, takes a number of factors into account when making these dailyassignments. The geographic manager factors in the location of the boat,distance between assignments, the watch officer's previously scheduledassignments and any other pertinent factors. Each watch officerpreferably downloads his or her daily service assignment portfolio tohis or her portable computer, preferably via a secure connection on theinternet.

From the daily service assignment portfolio, the watch officer selectshis first assignment for the day, as indicated in block 36. Uponarriving at the marina, the watch officer follows all the proceduresindicated in the customer record on his portable computer to access themarina and the boat, as indicated by block 38. The geographic managermay accompany the watch officer if this is the watch officer's firstinspection of the boat.

Once at the boat, as indicated in block 40, the watch officer uses hisor her portable computer to scan the boat identification bar codeaffixed to the boat. The watch officer's portable computer generates aninspection report form, as indicated by block 42, that guides the watchofficer through the required inspection. FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate anexample inspection report form. The generated inspection report formindicates the date and time of the commencement of the inspection. Italso incorporates pertinent customer and boat information which isretrieved from the updated customer record stored on the watch officer'sportable computer. Such pertinent information may include: (i) the boatowner's name, address and contact information; (ii) the name and type ofboat being inspected; (iii) the type of service plan contracted for andmarina and docking information. At the beginning of the inspection andat the end of the inspection, the watch officer also scans hisidentification badge bar code, as indicated by block 44. The portablecomputer captures the boat identification number and the watch officer'sinformation, such as name and contact information, and incorporates thisinformation into the inspection report form. This enables theimplementor, geographic manager and customer, by later accessing thisinformation, to determine the identification of the watch officer whomonitored the boat, when the inspection ended and the results of theinspection. The system also enables the boat owner to respond toquestions asked in the inspection report. For example, the boat ownermay send a message to the implementor to repair or have repaired abroken item on the vessel.

As indicated by block 46, the watch officer proceeds to inspect thevessel, using the inspection report form as a guide. The areas toinspect listed on the inspection report form will vary depending on thetype of monitoring procedure agreed upon by the customer and theimplementor. The inspection may focus only on the exterior areas of thevessel or may also focus on the interior areas of the vessel.

The inspection of the exterior of the boat preferably includes:

-   -   a. determining how is the vessel sitting in the water;    -   b. determining if the vessel is pulling on the starboard side,        or is it heavy on the port side (which could indicate that the        boat could have water on one side or the other, or one fuel tank        could be loaded more than the other);    -   c. investigating anything noticeably wrong with the boat;    -   d. checking that the exterior lines on both sides of the vessel        to ensure they are in the proper perspective (including checking        if the stern lines go through cleats on the boat and accounting        for tidal waters);    -   e. checking the dockside water connections, including the        outside water lines coming into the vessel;    -   f. checking fenders, including ensuring that all fenders are        properly placed to protect the vessel from side damage and        raising or lowering to the dock height to account for tidal        waters;    -   g. inspecting the exterior electrical lines (including making        certain that the connection is made properly, that the breakers        are set, that the line going into the vessel is equally secured,        that the capped line is properly closed to prevent salt water        from getting in and causing damage and checking to ensure the        electrical lines are out of the water);    -   h. checking exterior entries to the vessel to insure that all        windows, doors, hatches, port lights, etc. are properly secured;    -   i. inspecting canvas and bridge enclosures and glass and plastic        window covering to ensure that everything is snapped down and in        place, that no areas are exposed, checking the dinghy or a        tender boat, ensuring that their coverings are properly enclosed        and secured to mountings and checking the bridge enclosure to        make sure all snaps, ties and zippers are properly taken care        of; and    -   j. checking ground tackle to ensure that the davits, the        windlass, the anchor windlass, and the anchor, are properly        secured with safety chain, and that all boat hooks, gaffs, and        other ground tackle are not loose and wandering about the boat.

The inspection of the interior of the boat preferably includes:

-   -   a. checking interior electrical, including checking to ensure        that all electrical switches are in the “OFF” position (except        for those circuits the owner wants left on) and checking light        switches to determine if they work;    -   b. checking the electrical panel board and other electrical        components to ensure that if the vessel is on the proper voltage        supply, and checking that the voltage and AMP Meters are        registering properly;    -   c. checking the engine room, including checking out all hoses        for fuel or oil leaks, checking the main engines to ensure there        is no water seepage or transmission leaks, observing the filters        to ensure that they are not dripping into the bilges, and that        no oil spills are occurring, checking the generators to ensure        that there are no fuel or oil leaks and that proper oil        absorption pads are in place; and checking for any water leaks        into the heat exchange cooling systems; and    -   d. checking the bilges, including checking the bilges forward,        midsection, as well as cockpit or lazarette bilges, checking all        pumps' switches are “ON” in the control panel, and that they are        on “Automatic” (if the boat owner desires), checking the bilge        alarms by lifting the float plate, checking the stuffing, the        wax inside the stuffing box, is properly lubricated and checking        for oil or fuel leakage.

After inspecting an area required by the inspection report form, thewatch officer enters his inspection results, as indicated by block 48.If no discrepancies or items in need of repair are detected, the watchofficer enters a “satisfactory” or “checked” comment in his inspectionreport next to the description of the applicable inspection area. Ifdiscrepancies were found or items were found to be in need of repair,the watch officer enters a description of the discrepancy in hisinspection report next to the description of the applicable inspectionarea. The watch officer also describes any corrective action he took tocorrect a problem (e.g. secure a broken line or missing line holding theboat) or suggests repairs he or she believes the boat owner should taketo fix the problem (e.g., replace a faulty boat cover). The watchofficer may provide a detailed explanation on the entire inspection andhighlight any corrective action he or she took in the comments sectionat the bottom of the inspection report. When the watch officer completeshis inspection, he clicks the enter button, or scans the bar codeattached to the boat one more time, as indicated in block 50. Thefinishing date and time of the inspection are captured and may beincorporated into the inspection report.

The watch officer continues this inspection process for every boatassigned to him on his daily service assignment portfolio. At the end ofeach day, after all the assigned boats have been inspected, oralternatively after each inspection, the watch officer provides eachcustomer whose boat he or she has inspected a copy of their inspectionreport, as indicated by block 52. This inspection report is preferablysent to the customer on the monitor's web site in a separate customer,member or owner report section. Although it may be sent in any otherform (e.g., e-mail, fax or conventional mail) as well. The watch officeralso uploads all of his or her inspection reports from the day to theimplementor's database. The inspection reports are added to eachcustomer's customer record, as indicated by block 54. Customers may thenvisit the implementor's secure web site after entering a pre-selecteduser name and password, to access their boat's inspection, repair andhistorical information. The geographic manager reviews all of theuploaded reports and flags items that are designated as requiring repairfor follow up action, as indicated by block 56. The flagged items aresaved to a follow up file which contains a master list of all repairsthat need to be completed and a statement of the status of the repairs.The implementor prioritizes these repairs, and the repairs are made inthe order of priority. Once a repair is finished, the status of therepair job is changed to “complete,” and the repair job is removed fromthe pending repair job master list.

As indicated by block 58, the implementor provides periodic reports tothe customer. At the end of each month, the implementor provides thecustomer a report detailing the recommended repairs and the action takenon the boat in the last month. At the end of the year, the implementorprovides the customer a composite statement listing all the activity forthat boat for the year.

Telemetry Unit

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is generallyillustrated in the FIG. 4. In this embodiment, a plurality of sensors102 are strategically placed throughout a vessel and hard wired orotherwise adapted to communicate with a telemetry unit 126 preferablymounted within the vessel. The telemetry unit 126 is configured tocommunicate data from the plurality of sensors 102 to a networkoperations center 136 over a wireless link 132. The network operationscenter 136 is adapted to communicate or forward this data received fromthe telemetry unit 126 to a central monitoring station 138 over acomputer network connection such as an internet link 136. The centralmonitoring station 138 includes a display from which monitoringpersonnel may view the status of the vessel as detected by the sensors102. The central monitoring station also includes provisions fordisplaying instructions for responding to an emergency, alarm or othercondition detected on the vessel. These provisions may includeinstructions to contact local monitoring personnel 140 or a designatedauthority, service organization or entity such as the police or firedepartment 142.

The telemetry unit may be configured to receive any number of switchsensor inputs, inputs from battery voltage level sensors and inputs fromother sensors, detectors and measurement devices, collectively referredto herein as sensors. In one embodiment of the present invention, thetelemetry unit 126 is connected to and configured to receive signalsfrom eight switch sensors. Such switch sensors 102 include: an intrusionsensor 104; a smoke and fire sensor 106; hydrocarbon and combustible gassensors 108; an equipment tampering sensor 110; a bilge pump cyclecounter 112; a bulge pump power sensor 114; a bilge high water sensor112; a battery voltage level sensor 118; a shore cord and power sensor120; and a hatch entry sensor 122. The vessel monitoring system of thepresent invention may additionally include customizable sensor inputs124 for monitoring other systems and conditions on the vessel. Theseswitch sensors 102 are representative of the types of functions that aremonitored by the telemetry unit 126. Other sensors not shown in FIG. 4may be employed and the sensors shown in FIG. 4 may be omitted dependingon the type of vessel, and the vessel owner's requirements andpreferences. The sensors will initiate an alarm whenever the conditionmonitored by the sensor activates the switch.

Various conditions may activate a switch for the different sensors. Thefollowing is a list of preferred sensors and their functions:

Sensor Definitions

Bilge High Water Sensor:

-   -   Commercially available float switch which makes contact when        high water causes the switch to rise. This sensor is set above        the expected highest water level in a vessel that is properly        protected with a bilge pump, and connects only when the water        reaches that level.

Bilge Pump Cycle Count Sensor:

-   -   This is a function of the unit itself and does not use any        external sensors. Power from the normal bilge pump control float        switch is also sent to the unit for processing.

Bilge Pump Constant Running or Pump Failure Sensor:

-   -   This also is a function of the Unit itself and does not use any        external sensors. Power from the normal bilge pump control float        switch is monitored and sent to the unit which detects constant        voltage.

Intrusion Sensor:

-   -   Commercially available infrared motion sensor used in businesses        and residential settings to detect motion within a defined area.

Door or Hatch Sensor:

-   -   Commercially available magnet actuated switches that either make        or break an enclosed contact when the magnetic field is removed        by opening the cabin door or hatch.

Smoke and Fire Sensor:

-   -   Commercially available marine rated 12 volt smoke detector with        additional contacts that are hard wired to the main unit.

Battery Voltage Sensor:

-   -   This is a wired connection from one or more batteries which        enables the unit to monitor battery voltage. One set of contacts        also provides power to the unit (and to the other hard wired        sensors if necessary). In the event the batter voltage falls to        11.5 volts with no load, an appropriate signal is sent to the        monitoring station.

Equipment Tampering Sensor:

-   -   This may be one or more conventional switches or contacts that        sense equipment removal attempts, and either make or break a        contact that is wired to the unit on the monitored vessel.

Explosive Gasses Sensor:

-   -   This is one of several commercially available devices that        monitor the atmosphere surrounding the sensor, and close a        switch contact when a mixture that is approaching an explosive        potential is detected.

Refrigerator or Freezer High Temperature Sensor:

-   -   This is a commercially available temperature sensitive switch        that is preset to a high temperature level. When this        temperature is reached a contact closes, sending this signal to        the unit indicating that the refrigerator or freezer has reached        an unacceptable temperature level.

Shore Cord Power Disconnect Sensor:

-   -   This is a commercially available transformer that is wired into        the 110 volt AC circuit on the monitored vessel and sends a low        voltage to the unit. When shore power to the vessel is lost,        either by a power outage or by disconnecting the shore cord, a        signal is sent to the monitoring station. If the monitoring        system is enabled without shore power to the vessel, the system        will ignore this portion of the monitored functions.

Additional Custom Sensors:

-   -   The telemetry system on a monitored vessel facilitates the        addition of other analog or digital signals from a variety of        sensors. These sensors may be added or removed in order to        customize a particular vessel, depending upon the needs of any        vessel owner.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the telemetry unit 126 isalso connected to and also configured to receive signals from andmonitor the charge on four of the vessel's main batteries. The telemetryunit is preferably adapted to report voltage measured at the batteriesto the central monitoring station at regular intervals such as onceevery week, as part of a regular status report. Also, the telemetry unitis preferably adapted to report an alarm to the central monitoringstation if the voltage, drops below a pre-defined threshold.

In one embodiment, the telemetry unit 126 is housed in a suitableshielded weather tight enclosure mounted inside the vessel. The sensors102 are hard wired to the telemetry unit using marine grade wiring. Allleads entering the telemetry unit are sealed to prevent moisture andother contaminates from entering the enclosure. The telemetry unit 126is secured to the vessel by mounting bolts or other suitable fastenersaccessed from within the telemetry unit housing to enhance mountingsecurity and prevent external tampering. An antenna is connected to thetelemetry unit and is provided on the exterior of the enclosure of thetelemetry unit for broadcasting the telemetry signal. The telemetry unit126 is powered directly from the vessel's main batteries.

One embodiment of the telemetry unit 126 includes an analog/digitaltelemetry circuit board 128 which receives the sensor inputs andgenerates the telemetry signal. The telemetry signal includes dataindicating the status of the systems and components monitored by thesensors. The telemetry unit 126 also includes a radio transceiver 130for transmitting the telemetry signal. In one embodiment of thetelemetry unit, the radio transceiver is a cellular telephone controlchannel radio transceiver. In this embodiment, the cellular telephonecontrol channel radio transceiver 130 transmits the telemetry signal bycontacting a network operations center 134 over a wireless link 132. Thetelemetry unit 126 contacts the network operations center 134 using aunique identification code assigned by the network operations center.Once connected to the network operations center, the telemetry unit 126transmits the telemetry signal containing data identifying the vesseland indicating the status of certain or all of the onboard sensors. Thetelemetry unit 126 may be configured to communicate with the networkoperations center 134 whenever any of the onboard sensors detects anabnormal condition on the vessel. The telemetry unit 126 is alsoconfigured to contact the network operations center on a periodic basis,such as once a week, to report the status of the various sensors 102.The periodic reports allow trends reflecting the slow deterioration ofequipment to be detected prior to a complete system failure.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the telemetry unit 126including the analog and digital telemetry circuit board 128 is producedby Crosstar LLC, of Arden Hills, Minn. A network operations center 134is operated by a company that specialized in cellular phone controlsystems data transmissions.

As indicated above, each sensor 102 monitors a specific condition on thevessel. An alarm event occurs whenever the condition of interest to aparticular sensor reaches an abnormal or undesirable state. When analarm event is detected, the sensor outputs a signal indicating that thecondition monitored by the sensor has reached an abnormal or undesirablestate. When one or more sensors detects an alarm event the telemetryunit 126 contacts the network operations center and transmits theappropriate data. The data sent by the telemetry unit 126 identifies thevessel and identifies the sensor that has detected the alarm event. Ifthe alarm event is detected by an analog sensor, such as a batteryvoltage sensor, a value associated with the sensor's output may also besent by the telemetry unit 136.

When the network operations center 134 receives data from the telemetryunit 126 over the wireless link 132, whether as the result of an alarmevent or a regularly scheduled status report, the network operationscenter 134 forwards the telemetry data to a central monitoring station138, preferably over a secure internet link. Thus, the networkoperations center acts as a gateway between the wireless cellularnetwork and the internet.

At the network operations center 134, the telemetry data are extractedfrom the wireless telemetry signal and converted to packet switched datafor transmission to the central monitoring system. The networkoperations center directs the telemetry data to a network server at thecentral monitoring station 138. The central monitoring system is adaptedto receive and process the data. If the data include an alarm condition,the monitoring system causes the name and location of the vessel onwhich the event occurred to be displayed on a computer monitor. Thealarm event such as Bilge Pump Cycling Time, Battery Low Voltage, or thelike, is also displayed. Thus, monitoring personnel located at thecentral monitoring station 138 are substantially immediately apprised ofthe occurrence of an alarm event on the vessel and may take immediatesteps to rectify the situation.

The central monitoring station 138 includes a database which storesrecords for each vessel monitored by the system as described above. Eachrecord includes data fields identifying a vessel; the vessel's owner;the location where the vessel is moored; the owner's contactinformation; and the like. The records also preferably include emergencycontact information and contingency instructions for responding to thevarious alarm events that may be reported to the central monitoringstation. For example, a database record for a particular vessel mayinclude the instruction to call the local fire department in the eventthat a smoke sensor detects smoke in the cabin. The central monitoringsystem may be set up so that the instruction to call the fire departmentis displayed with the appropriate telephone number when the smokedetector alarm is received. Similarly, an instruction to call the harborpolice or marina security along with the corresponding telephone numbermay be stored in the database record of the vessel, and the instructionand telephone number displayed when the main hatch sensor detects anunauthorized person entering the vessel. Other arrangements with marineservice providers may also be set up to respond to detected equipmentfailures and the like. Contingency instructions may include details asto when various third party contacts are available, and names alternatecontacts if a first contact is unavailable. The contingency instructionsmay also include instructions to contact the vessel owner in response tocertain alarms. In this way monitoring personnel may be instructed torespond quickly and appropriately to emergency situations occurring onthe vessel. As shown in FIG. 4, this response may involve contactingpolice, marina security, fire department, marine service center, fuelcontainment agency, towing service, or other response agency selected bythe vessel owner, as indicated in block 142. The proper response mayalso involve contacting monitoring personnel stationed at or near themarina where the vessel is located, as indicated by block 140.

The central monitoring system 138 further includes an archival databasefor storing event logs and status reports for each vessel monitored bythe system. As indicated above, vessel owners may then access the datastored in the archival database through an internet web page. Afterrequesting and receiving login and password information from the vesselowner, the owner may access the archival database to view data specificto the vessel owned by the vessel owner identified during the loginprocedure. The web page, including the vessel specific data may then bedownloaded to the vessel owner over the internet and displayed by thevessel owner's web browser. In this way a vessel owner may be keptinformed of the status of his or her vessel as frequently as desired,and in particular may obtain specific information on the status ofspecific conditions of the vessel. This is extremely useful, forexample, if the vessel owner believes that the vessel's batteries arebeing drained for another mechanical device is not working correctly.

While the present invention is described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodimentsof the present invention, the invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments. Modifications and variations in the present invention maybe made without departing from the novel aspects of this invention.

1. A vehicle monitoring system for enabling a plurality users to monitora plurality of movable vehicles, said vehicle monitoring systemcomprising: an electronic memory device configured to store data foreach vehicle, said data for each vehicle including: vehicle owner data,vehicle owner contact data, vehicle identifier data, vehicle owner logindata, vehicle owner password data, historical vehicle location data,current vehicle location data, historical vehicle battery conditiondata, current vehicle battery condition data, historical vehicle entrydata, current vehicle entry data, historical vehicle remote powerconnection data, current vehicle remote power connection data,historical vehicle engine related data, current vehicle engine relateddata, historical vehicle smoke or fire data, current vehicle smoke orfire data, historical vehicle interior compartment data, current vehicleinterior compartment data, historical vehicle repair data, and currentvehicle repair data; a processor configured to operate with the memorydevice, said processor configured to receive and operate with the memorydevice to store said vehicle owner data, vehicle owner contact data,vehicle identifier data, vehicle owner login data, vehicle ownerpassword data, historical vehicle location data, current vehiclelocation data, historical vehicle battery condition data, currentvehicle battery condition data, historical vehicle entry data, currentvehicle entry data, historical vehicle remote power connection data,current vehicle remote power connection data, historical vehicle enginerelated data, current vehicle engine related data, historical vehiclesmoke or fire data, current vehicle smoke or fire data, historicalvehicle interior compartment data, current vehicle interior compartmentdata, historical vehicle repair data, and current vehicle repair data; areceiver configured to, for each vehicle, receive data regarding saidvehicle through a data network from a data transmitter on the vehicle atregular fixed intervals, said data transmitter configured to: transmitsignals to the receiver at said regular fixed intervals, and transmitalarm event data when a component monitored by a sensor on the vehicleenters an undesired state; and a transmitter configured to, for eachvehicle, send data stored in the memory device for said vehicle throughthe data network to an owner computer to enable the owner computer todisplay an electronic page for said vehicle which includes data storedin said memory device relating to historical and current conditions ofsaid vehicle, said electronic page configured to display: vehicleidentifier information, historical vehicle location information, currentvehicle location information, historical vehicle battery conditioninformation, current vehicle battery condition information, historicalvehicle entry information, current vehicle entry information, historicalvehicle remote power connection information, current vehicle remotepower connection information, historical vehicle engine relatedinformation, current vehicle engine related information, historicalvehicle smoke or fire information, current vehicle smoke or fireinformation, historical vehicle interior compartment information,current vehicle interior compartment information, historical vehiclerepair information, and current vehicle repair information.
 2. Thevehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the vehicles are boats andthe data includes, for each boat, historical bilge pump data and currentbilge pump data.
 3. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, whereinthe data network is an internet.
 4. The vehicle monitoring system ofclaim 1, wherein the electronic memory device is configured to, for eachvehicle, store historical manual inspection data for said vehicle. 5.The vehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein, for each vehicle, thedata transmitter on the vehicle is a cellular telemetry unit.
 6. Thevehicle monitoring system of claim 1, wherein said data for each vehicleincludes: historical vehicle remote water connection data, and currentvehicle remote water connection data; said processor is configured toreceive and operate with the memory device to store said historicalvehicle remote water connection data, and current vehicle remote waterconnection data; and said electronic page is configured to display:historical vehicle remote water connection information, and currentvehicle remote water connection information.
 7. A vehicle monitoringsystem for enabling a plurality users to monitor a plurality of movablevehicles, said vehicle monitoring system comprising: an electronicmemory device configured to store data for each vehicle, said data foreach vehicle including: vehicle owner data, vehicle owner contact data,vehicle identifier data, vehicle owner login data, vehicle ownerpassword data, current vehicle location data, current vehicle batterycondition data, current vehicle entry data, current vehicle remote powerconnection data, current vehicle engine related data, current vehiclesmoke or fire data, current vehicle interior compartment data, andcurrent vehicle repair data; a processor configured to operate with thememory device, said processor configured to receive and operate with thememory device to store said vehicle owner data, vehicle owner contactdata, vehicle identifier data, vehicle owner login data, vehicle ownerpassword data, current vehicle location data, current vehicle batterycondition data, current vehicle entry data, current vehicle remote powerconnection data, current vehicle engine related data, current vehiclesmoke or fire data, current vehicle interior compartment data, andcurrent vehicle repair data; a receiver configured to, for each vehicle,receive data regarding said vehicle through a data network from a datatransmitter on the vehicle at intervals, said data transmitterconfigured to: transmit signals to the receiver at said intervals, andtransmit alarm event data when a component monitored by a sensor on thevehicle enters an undesired state; and a transmitter configured to, foreach vehicle, send data stored in the memory device for said vehiclethrough the data network to an owner computer to enable the ownercomputer to display an electronic page for said vehicle which includesdata stored in said memory device relating to current conditions of saidvehicle, said electronic page configured to display: vehicle identifierinformation, current vehicle location information, current vehiclebattery condition information, current vehicle entry information,current vehicle remote power connection information, current vehicleengine related information, current vehicle smoke or fire information,current vehicle interior compartment information, and current vehiclerepair information.
 8. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 7, whereinthe vehicles are boats and the data includes, for each boat, currentbilge pump data.
 9. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 7, whereinthe data network is an internet.
 10. The vehicle monitoring system ofclaim 7, wherein the electronic memory device is configured to, for eachvehicle, store manual inspection data for said vehicle.
 11. The vehiclemonitoring system of claim 7, wherein, for each vehicle, the datatransmitter on the vehicle is a cellular telemetry unit.
 12. The vehiclemonitoring system of claim 7, wherein said data for each vehicleincludes current vehicle remote water connection data, said processor isconfigured to receive and operate with the memory device to store saidcurrent vehicle remote water connection data, and said electronic pageis configured to display said current vehicle remote water connectioninformation.
 13. A vehicle monitoring system for enabling a pluralityusers to monitor a plurality of movable vehicles, said vehiclemonitoring system, comprising: an electronic memory device configured tostore data for each vehicle, said data for each vehicle including:vehicle owner data, vehicle owner contact data, vehicle identifier data,vehicle owner login data, vehicle owner password data, historicalvehicle location data, historical vehicle battery condition data,historical vehicle entry data, historical vehicle remote powerconnection data, historical vehicle engine related data, historicalvehicle smoke or fire data, historical vehicle interior compartmentdata, and historical vehicle repair data; a processor configured tooperate with the memory device, said processor configured to receive andoperate with the memory device to store said vehicle owner data, vehicleowner contact data, vehicle identifier data, vehicle owner login data,vehicle owner password data, historical vehicle location data,historical vehicle battery condition data, historical vehicle entrydata, historical vehicle remote power connection data, historicalvehicle engine related data, historical vehicle smoke or fire data,historical vehicle interior compartment data, and historical vehiclerepair data; a receiver configured to, for each vehicle, receive dataregarding said vehicle through a data network from a data transmitter onthe vehicle at intervals, said data transmitter configured to: transmitsignals to the receiver at said intervals, and transmit alarm event datawhen a component monitored by a sensor on the vehicle enters anundesired state; and a transmitter configured to, for each vehicle, senddata stored in the memory device for said vehicle through the datanetwork to an owner computer to enable the owner computer to display anelectronic page for said vehicle which includes data stored in saidmemory device relating to historical conditions of said vehicle, saidelectronic page configured to display: vehicle identifier information,historical vehicle location information, historical vehicle batterycondition information, historical vehicle entry information, historicalvehicle remote power connection information, historical vehicle enginerelated information, historical vehicle smoke or fire information,historical vehicle interior compartment information, and historicalvehicle repair information.
 14. The vehicle monitoring system of claim13, wherein the vehicles are boats and the data includes, for each boat,historical bilge pump data.
 15. The vehicle, monitoring system of claim13, wherein the data network is an internet.
 16. The vehicle monitoringsystem of claim 13, wherein the electronic memory device is configuredto, for each vehicle, store historical manual inspection data for saidvehicle.
 17. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 13, wherein, foreach vehicle, the data transmitter on the vehicle is a cellulartelemetry unit.
 18. The vehicle monitoring system of claim 13, whereinsaid data for each vehicle includes historical vehicle remote waterconnection data, said processor is configured to receive and operatewith the memory device to store historical vehicle remote waterconnection data, and said electronic page is configured to displayhistorical vehicle remote water connection information.